I've got the flu

J

JOhnH

Touchdown! Greaser!
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It's been hanging in there since Saturday.

I didn't post this under Medical Topics because I am not looking for advice. I just wanted to spread the word (instead of the flu)

I usually get a flu shot every year. For some reason, I neglected it this year. Probably because I never get the flu. So I didn't get the shot, and I got the flu.

Ya think there is a cause and effect thing going there.

I suggest you all get the shot. The flu sucks.

Yeah, I know. the shots aren't 100% effective. Sometimes, they are as low as 50%. But that is better than nothing. And the more people that get the shot, the fewer people there will be spreading it around further lessening your chances of getting sick.
 
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Sorry about that,I got the shot.
 
I get the flu shot because I can't work if I don't. otherwise I would not given my age and health. While the incidence of significant adverse effects is low, they do occur. where else do we take an unproven and untested medication and recommend it's widespread usage?
Good for you isolating yourself rather than passing it along.
 
FORANE said:
where else do we take an unproven and untested medication and recommend it's widespread usage?
.
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Anywhere there is a concern over public health. A significant influenza pandemic has the potential to kill millions worldwide.
Y'all, get the shot.
 
Sorry to heqr that. The flu is no fun!

I never took a flumshot until after I caught the flu (Jan 2010 or 11), and have not missed a shot since. It's easy, it's quick and it lowers the odds that I'll have a repeat . . . Three full days and two half days in bed, followed by a weekend "resting," time that I'll never get back.
 
Actually, in all probability the OP doesn't have influenza. No insult intended, its just that influenza is a much bigger deal than most people realize. Were the OP suffering it I doubt he'd have the gumption to type anything on a computer. When you have influenza you either think you're going to die or wish you would already. Most people who think they have had the flu have actually had a rhinovirus or some other less life-threatening pathogen.

Nonetheless I hope the OP feels better.
 
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Sorry to hear of your misery.

I got the Russian Flu in the late 1970's. As influenza goes, it was considered a mild strain (or so my doctor told me). It was still miserable enough that I've been getting flu shots pretty religiously ever since. Whether by luck or coincidence, I never caught another flu.

Rich
 
Three years with the flu in the five years before I began getting the flu shot, no flu in the eight years since. I got the pneumonia shot, too.
 
steingar said:
Actually, in all probability the OP doesn't have influenza. No insult intended, its just that influenza is a much bigger deal than most people realize. Were the OP suffering it I doubt he'd have the gumption to type anything on a computer. When you have influenza you either think you're going to die or wish you would already. Most people who think they have had the flu have actually had a rhinovirus or some other less life-threatening pathogen.

Nonetheless I hope the OP feels better.
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Thanks. I feel better already. When I thought I had the flu, I thought I was going to die.

I do think when this is over I will need to buy a new keyboard and maybe a new monitor too. Yech.
 
I got the flu shot yesterday, then I read this.
 
steingar said:
Actually, in all probability the OP doesn't have influenza. No insult intended, its just that influenza is a much bigger deal than most people realize. Were the OP suffering it I doubt he'd have the gumption to type anything on a computer. When you have influenza you either think you're going to die or wish you would already. Most people who think they have had the flu have actually had a rhinovirus or some other less life-threatening pathogen.

Nonetheless I hope the OP feels better.
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Indeed - the real deal is awful. I got hit once in my early 20s. And once about ten years before that. Both times were many days in such awful shape that even crawling would have been impossible.

Not a good thing to go through alone. It probably came closer to killing me the last time then I’d like to imagine. It was two days before I was capable of pushing enough buttons on my phone to get assistance.

It’s a pretty scary thing when you think of what it could do to you if you were a little bit older or a little bit weaker.
 
jesse said:
Indeed - the real deal is awful. I got hit once in my early 20s. And once about ten years before that. Both times were many days in such awful shape that even crawling would have been impossible.

Not a good thing to go through alone. It probably came closer to killing me the last time then I’d like to imagine. It was two days before I was capable of pushing enough buttons on my phone to get assistance.

It’s a pretty scary thing when you think of what it could do to you if you were a little bit older or a little bit weaker.
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It makes you lay in bed for a week at best. A friend, who happened to be a year younger and a hell of a lot tougher than me, died from it and his wife lived through it with some ICU time.
 
GlennAB1 said:
That sucks. Too bad the flu shot isn't a guarantee against getting the flu.
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In my friends case the flu strain was not the one for which the vaccine was targeted.

Anyway, if you even suspect you have flu call your doctor and get meds early. The doctor should prescribe without an office visit. At least that is what my primary care doctor sez.
 
GlennAB1 said:
That sucks. Too bad the flu shot isn't a guarantee against getting the flu.
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Exactly. The flu shot is a SWAG. It is a bet hoping that flu A comes out, but instead flu W goes around. Sort of like getting a pre-emptive shot for a rattle snake bite and then getting bit by a mad dog.

A few years ago there was a big advertising campaign to get a shingles shot. Turned out there was an ineffective batch of shingles juice that needed to be sold, so start a scare campaign to sell it off.*

I am thinking that might be why the Hepititus C scare now.

*(to get their investment back, that's why)
 
JOhnH said:
I suggest you all get the shot. The flu sucks.
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Never had a flu shot in my life and don't intend to start. I prefer to keep my immune system healthy by eating the right foods and taking the right vitamins.
 
Nothing is a *guarantee*. At the same time I got the flu shot, my PCP informed me that I am now eligible for the shingles shot. She was upfront in saying that evidence says it's only 50-70% effective, but I got it anyway.
 
Zeldman said:
A few years ago there was a big advertising campaign to get a shingles shot. Turned out there was an ineffective batch of shingles juice that needed to be sold, so start a scare campaign to sell it off.*

I am thinking that might be why the Hepititus C scare now.

*(to get their investment back, that's why)
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Now there's an "interesting" conspiracy theory. Where in the world did that come from?

Y'all need to understand that the shingles vaccine has never been touted to be more than about 60% effective; but if you consider that upwards of 30% of older people contract shingles when unvaccinated - that's still preventing a great number of cases and their resultant misery.
 
azblackbird said:
Never had a flu shot in my life and don't intend to start. I prefer to keep my immune system healthy by eating the right foods and taking the right vitamins.
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The flu vaccine isn't for you, or for I per say, it's to prevent the spread of strains that the CDC has predicted to be big killers of certain people, that being very young, elderly, and health compromised. Your healthy immune system, diet and vitamin intake has nothing to do with catching the flu.
 
Zeldman said:
Exactly. The flu shot is a SWAG. It is a bet hoping that flu A comes out, but instead flu W goes around. Sort of like getting a pre-emptive shot for a rattle snake bite and then getting bit by a mad dog.

A few years ago there was a big advertising campaign to get a shingles shot. Turned out there was an ineffective batch of shingles juice that needed to be sold, so start a scare campaign to sell it off.*

I am thinking that might be why the Hepititus C scare now.

*(to get their investment back, that's why)
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My understanding is that although they weigh many factors, CDC gives more weight to how serious a strain of influenza is from a public health point of view than how common it is when selecting which strains to include in the vaccine. A strain that kills has more weight than one that may be more common, but less serious. Or at least that's how a CDC guy explained it to me many years ago.

Rich
 
jesse said:
Indeed - the real deal is awful. I got hit once in my early 20s. And once about ten years before that. Both times were many days in such awful shape that even crawling would have been impossible.
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As Rich said, there are many strains of the flu, some worse than others.
And I don't think you or Steingar have much in the way of determining how badly I am suffering. I did indeed think dying would be preferable last night and I am panicking about trying to go to sleep tonight. I have a hard time breathing standing or sitting, but when I lay down it is torture.
 
JOhnH said:
As Rich said, there are many strains of the flu, some worse than others.
And I don't think you or Steingar have much in the way of determining how badly I am suffering. I did indeed think dying would be preferable last night and I am panicking about trying to go to sleep tonight. I have a hard time breathing standing or sitting, but when I lay down it is torture.
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Sure it's not pneumonia?
 
JOhnH said:
As Rich said, there are many strains of the flu, some worse than others.
And I don't think you or Steingar have much in the way of determining how badly I am suffering. I did indeed think dying would be preferable last night and I am panicking about trying to go to sleep tonight. I have a hard time breathing standing or sitting, but when I lay down it is torture.
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It may be time to get to the ER. Respiratory problems can become exacerbated quite quickly. Moreover, I could be quite mistaken in my internet-based diagnosis. Not only that, but you could have pneumonia, or could get it soon. Time to get some medical intervention. If it is influenza at least you'll be in a place where they can keep you hydrated and free from pulmonary complications.
 
JOhnH said:
And why I am being fitted with a CPAP next week. This just makes it worse.
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Actually a CPAP for the most part will stop a runny nose - either from a cold or allergies. Something to do with the humidity and pressure.

I’ve been known to sit in front of a computer with my CPAP on to do some work...
 
JOhnH said:
As Rich said, there are many strains of the flu, some worse than others.
And I don't think you or Steingar have much in the way of determining how badly I am suffering. I did indeed think dying would be preferable last night and I am panicking about trying to go to sleep tonight. I have a hard time breathing standing or sitting, but when I lay down it is torture.
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Nowhere did I say that you weren’t sick or that you don’t have influenza. I just said it’s an awful thing to have and shared my experience.

It definitely sounds like something not good is going on...and the above ER advice would be a damn good idea.
 
wrbix said:
Y'all need to understand that the shingles vaccine has never been touted to be more than about 60% effective; but if you consider that upwards of 30% of older people contract shingles when unvaccinated - that's still preventing a great number of cases and their resultant misery.
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There is a new shingles vaccine fda approved. Unfortunately it is not yet available! If you think you don’t want the full-on flu, you really really don’t want shingles!

-Skip
 
jesse said:
Nowhere did I say that you weren’t sick or that you don’t have influenza. I just said it’s an awful thing to have and shared my experience.
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Sorry if I misinterpreted you, but you quoted Steingar as saying:
actually, in all probability the OP doesn't have influenza. No insult intended, its just that influenza is a much bigger deal than most people realize. Were the OP suffering it I doubt he'd have the gumption to type anything on a computer. When you have influenza you either think you're going to die or wish you would already. Most people who think they have had the flu have actually had a rhinovirus or some other less life-threatening pathogen.
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And you replied:
Indeed - the real deal is awful.
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It sounded to me like you agreed that I don't have the flu. And perhaps I don't, but it sure feels like it to me.

But I can see were you were merely agreeing with how bad the flu can be. Although not everyone suffers the same.

I'm going to bed now. (and it's only 6:20, but it's dark). If I survive the night and don't feel a little better in the morning, I will go see my doctor.
 
I took a flu shot back when President Ford was in because I took my mom for one and I was there. A week later I was as sick as I have ever been in my life. Never took another one and either that shot helped me become resisistant or I have been lucky. Forty years later I will not take another one. Never worried about pneumonia, had shingles a few years ago. Shingles was bad but not a killer and I won't be taking a shingles vaccine. Whatever happens happens, fine by me. Never want to be that sick again tho.
 
Vern B said:
I took a flu shot back when President Ford was in because I took my mom for one and I was there. A week later I was as sick as I have ever been in my life. Never took another one and either that shot helped me become resisistant or I have been lucky. Forty years later I will not take another one. Never worried about pneumonia, had shingles a few years ago. Shingles was bad but not a killer and I won't be taking a shingles vaccine. Whatever happens happens, fine by me. Never want to be that sick again tho.
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Coincidence, influenza vaccine DOES NOT cause "the flu".
 
Have you been tested?

Never got a flu shot. Only had it once as an adult, and that was while living in a college dorm.

Last year I thought I had it, but after testing it turned out to be strep throat.
 
In last 9 yrs I got 2 flu shots and both times I got the flu rt after... so I stopped. No shots, no flu for me.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
Ah jeez.....<slapping forehead and walking away shaking head>
 
Military made me get it and every year I got sick. Maybe not from the shot but I still got sick. I got out 12 years ago and have never taken a flu shot and rarely get sick. I did have shingles once a few years ago...on my face no less. It sucked but they say if you get shingles you likely won't get it again. So no vaccine for me. Though I am fairly young and got it so who knows.

Get well man! I had confirmed West Nile back in 2004 and dang I would have rather died, it sucked and the rash I got I wanted to cut my skin off with razor blades. It was awful!
 
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